My Writings (I hope!) reflect my Guiding Principles:
-'Enjoy Life to the Utmost but not at other people's expense'-'Think Global, Act Local'-'Variety is the Spice of Life'-'Use Technology & Wisdom to Make the World A Better Place for All God's Creatures'-'Do Not Accept Injustice No Matter Where You Find It'-'Laughter is the Best Medicine'

Public parks, woods and other green spaces are more and more recognised as essential to the health of people and to the wellbeing of the planet.Sadly Galway city’s public parks are increasingly suffering from anti-social behaviour that is undermining all of the great work that has been undertaken over so many decades by volunteers of all ages. Issues such as litter, dumping, destruction of seating/tables and tree felling are undermining not only citizens’ enjoyment of our valuable green spaces but are also impacting negatively on wildlife species. It is well past time that Galway city follows the centuries-old example of Dublin and Belfast in having dedicated full time park wardens. Such on-the-ground staff could regularly carry out essential maintenance, act as tour guides, dramatically decrease acts of vandalism and in the process restore public confidence and usage of a rich diverse range of meadows, forests, wetlands and parks that would be the envy of most other European cities.

A motion from Councillor Mark Lohan in requesting such a full-time parks crew is on the agenda of the first meeting of Galway City Council in 2019, that starts at 2pm on next Monday (January 14th).So we are asking all lovers of our urban green amenities to join us at 1.40pm outside the front door of City Hall and demand that all councillors support this critical motion that could make our parks and natural heritage areas as popular as St. Stephens’ Green or Phoenix Park in Dublin, Hampstead Heath in London or Central Park in New York.Lets make a positive start to the New Year by having our publicly elected local politicians implement a policy that will positively transform our parks and natural heritage areas

I took this photo on the evening of St. Stephen's Day in Terryland Forest Park. It captures somewhat the mythical nature of the Hazel tree, with its catkins almost luminescent in the rising darkness.
The Hazel in Celtic mythology is associated with magic, wisdom and
poetry. Its fruit- the hazel nut- was a great source of nourishment in
ancient times and is still collected by local families in the autumn.
Its wood was used for making furniture, fencing and wickerwork. In our
community garden we have used it in conjunction with willow branches to
make fences. Druid wands were made from hazel. Because the tree grew
near water, it also has strong connections with fertility. It was
believed too that the source of Ireland's most scared rivers, Shannon
and Boyne, were to be found at wells guarded by hazel trees whose nuts
would impart great knowledge and magical prowess to those that eat them.
Its twigs were used by diviners to locate water underground.

Cepta and myself have fond memories of our
childhood Christmases and the stories that our parents told us of their own
youthful days at this very special time of the year. We did indeed experience many of the characteristics of today’s
Christmas such as Santa Claus, a Christmas tree in the living room and special
programmes on the TV station. Nevertheless it was then first and foremost a deeply
religious festival of Christian thanksgiving which our parents expected us to respect
and to observe.

In my father’s (& mother’s) time…

On winter evenings around the fireside, mom,
dad and particularly my grandparents, would tell stories of their own harsh poverty-stricken
Christmas in a rural Ireland before the era of plastic trees, glittering
baubles, twinkling electric lights, expensive gifts and sumptuous festive dinners.
In those bygone days they would get up early and gather branches from Holly
(holy) trees in the hedgerows to decorate their homes. For them the thorns and
red berries symbolised the bloodied crown of thorns of the crucified Jesus. But
the sacredness of this native Irish tree goes back thousands of years earlier, when
it was recognised as a protector of Nature, with its red berries providing a
rare source of food to the birds in the depths of darkest winter, and a
reminder too of the resurrection of life during the coming Spring.Lots of families made their own wooden figures
for Nativity scenes that were placed prominently in the kitchen and which was a
microcosm of the larger crib in the local parish church (a custom introduced by
Francis of Assisi during the European Middle Ages).

Morning mass, where they happily engaged
with all the cousins and neighbours, was followed in the late afternoon by a family
meal comprising exotic foodstuffs not consumed at any other time of the year. Before
refrigeration, a key element was the Christmas pudding (kept in a recycled
metal biscuit tin), comprising fruits that had been dried out and stored from
the autumn harvest with a generous lashing of home distilled whiskey (poitín)
even though my parents throughout their lives hardly ever drank alcohol (Dad
was a lifelong ‘pioneer’). As in the
modern era, the main delicacy was poultry. But rather than the American-originated
turkey, they usually had the luxury of enjoying one of their own geese.

But in the lives of ordinary people, meat
was then a rarity. It was only normally consumed on Sundays (the ‘Sunday
roast’) and on important religious/seasonal festivals.

This celebratory meal was primarily a gathering
for the extended family, when those bothers and sisters who had gone to work in
Dublin or had emigrated to nearby Britain would, at least before they got
married, try to travel home for the most important day in the Christian
calendar.

As was the custom at the beginning of every
mealtime in Irish Christian homes in times past, a prayer was recited in thanks
for the food that was about to be served.

On Christmas night, a simple wax candle was
lit and placed in the window. It represented the ‘Star of Bethlehem’ that guided
the ‘wise men (possibly Zoroastrian magi from the land of or modern day Iraq or
Iran), with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, to the livestock barn
where the newborn baby lay.

In the days before rural electrification,
it must have been an awe-inspiring sight for children to look across a darkened
Irish countryside vibrating with small flickering candle-lights emanating from
isolated farmers’ cottages. It was as if the heavenly night sky had become one
with the Earth.

So in honour of our parents for this and
all Christmases, our family (as with so many other families) continue to
observe some of the best of the old Irish Christian traditions. We decorate the
walls with holly, make a Star of Bethlehem backdrop for an internal Nativity
scene, place candles on the windows and doorways with some family members
attending the local church and then enjoying a festive meal together.

Whilst I have many disagreements with the
Catholic Church stretching back to my teens, nevertheless I have always being
an avid follower of the great inspirational progressive, radical, pacifist,
non-sectarian, communal feminist figure known as Jesus Christ.

So to all my atheist, pagan, Jewish,
Buddhist, Muslim, Christian and Hindi friends may I wish you all a peaceful and
joyful Christmas and New Year.

Lover of Nature, of Peoples & of Technology.Endeavour to 'Think Global, Act Local'.Believer in Liberation Theology.Proud to be Irish with a Rebel Heart.

"I view 'Technology' as a liberating force & a means of helping in saving the planet from man's catastrophic interference.

Lead mentor in Africa Code Week. 'Galway Science Person of the Year' Award 2006& 2012. 'Galway IT in the Community' Award 2014 (ITAG). Recipient of Galway Mayoral Award
for community projects. Co-founder of Coderdojo Galway City which won ITAG 'Technology in the Community Award' 2013. Curator & founding member of Computer & Communications Museum of Ireland. Presented also with a number of other Science &
Technology plaudits including Galway ITAG Information Technology Schools Award 2006.Former Holiday Village manager, pub owner & Music promoter.

The Irish

The great Gaels of IrelandAre the men that God made madFor all their wars are merry,And all their songs are sad-G.K. Chesterton, English writer

Wise Words

The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But... the good Samaritan reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?"

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people. -Martin Luther King